The UPA Book Club has chosen to read Lethal Tides: Mary Sears and the Marine Scientists Who Helped Win World War II by [Dr.]Catherine Musemeche, William Morrow, 2022, 320 pages, for our discussion on February 9, 2024.
Barnes and Noble Overview: “Lethal Tides tells the story of the virtually unknown Mary Sears, “the first oceanographer of the Navy,” whose groundbreaking oceanographic research led the U.S. to victory in the Pacific theater during World War II.
In Lethal Tides, Catherine Musemeche weaves together science, biography, and military history in the compelling story of an unsung woman who had a dramatic effect on the U.S. Navy’s success against Japan in WWII, creating an intelligence-gathering juggernaut based on the new science of oceanography. …The Sears team analyzed ocean currents, made wave and tide predictions, identified zones of bioluminescence, mapped deep-water levels where submarines could hide and gathered information about the topography and surf conditions surrounding the Pacific islands and Japan. Sears was frequently called upon to make middle-of-the-night calculations for last-minute top-secret landing destinations and boldly predicted optimal landing times and locations for amphibious invasions.”
Amazon reviewer DKMFT: “Absolutely riveting. This is a unique story about a woman who was ahead of her time and her contributions to science and World War II are inspiring. Dr. Musemeche is a masterful storyteller with a gift of making complex situations and details readable to everyone.”